Digital Commons Network^™

The Stability Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids In Salmon Following Gamma Irradiation, Saya Seraj

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly omega-3 and omega-6, are essential nutrients for human health, with salmon being a significant dietary source. However, fish spoilage during refrigeration remains a concern. Gamma irradiation has been approved as a method to reduce bacteria in various foods such as chicken, beef, and shellfish, but it has yet to be approved for fish. To gain FDA approval, it is crucial to demonstrate that this process preserves the nutritional components, particularly PUFAs, in irradiated fish.

In this study, we investigate the effects of gamma irradiation on the PUFA content of salmon at doses of 0.5 kGy …

How Do Gamified Interventions Influence Long-Term Health Outcomes In Managing And Reducing The Progression Of Chronic Illnesses Among Children Under 18?, Taruni Singanamala, Mohit Belur, Jeremy Ignatius

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Despite the advancements in medical care, children below the age of 18 years and their parents or guardians face significant challenges in managing chronic diseases, such as strict treatment regimens with lifestyle modifications for effective management. Nutrition, exercise, and adherence to medication all prevent children from acquiring or assist them in managing a chronic illness. Recent studies have shown that gamifying these aspects makes these goals more attainable and could be the answer to encouraging children and their families. Gamified interventions show promise in improving behavioral adherence and longer-term health outcomes by including features such as rewards, challenges, and progress …

Impacts Of Early Childhood Intervention On The Cognitive Development Of Individuals With Down Syndrome, Ella Riddle

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Trisomy 21, commonly known as Down Syndrome, is a chromosomal condition that causes intellectual and developmental delays. It is one of the several intellectual disabilities that is protected in the education system under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that provides free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities. Though there is no “cure” for the syndrome, there are several therapies and interventions that significantly improve the cognitive capabilities of individuals diagnosed with Down Syndrome. In recent years, early intervention strategies taking place as early as birth until the age of three have been implemented through services …

Exploring Vibrational Energy Transfer Between Dna And Water Molecules, Jarlynn Ramirez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Studies have shown that when DNA absorbs ultraviolet light it can become structurally damaged leading to a mutation. Absorption of ultraviolet light causes molecular vibrations in DNA and these vibrations are what likely leads to structural changes in the DNA. However, exposing DNA to ultraviolet light rarely leads to structural damage. This indicates that the energy from the absorbed ultraviolet light is often dissipated in a way that does not damage the DNA. One way the structural changes could be avoided is by vibrational energy transfer from DNA to nearby water molecules. To investigate this potential biological mechanism, molecular dynamics …

Exploring The Effects Of Food Additives On Electroshock-Induced Seizures In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Sharvani Nune, Carina Pavlov, Japji G. Madan, Emma Hickey, Bhargav Potineni, Dillen-Preetesh Patel, Jeremy Ignatius, Mackenzie Mcgrogan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Many commercially available food products are laced with food additives, such as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs, e.g. Equal and Splenda). Due to the minimal caloric content and increased palatability, these products are often preferred. Some research exists on the adverse effects of these food additives, but the neurotoxic effects of these compounds are not yet understood beyond anecdotes. In this study, we explore the effects of chemical sweeteners and food additives on seizure behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans are widely used in neuroscience research due to their simple and fully mapped nervous system. To study convulsant behavior of C. …

Investigation And Reclassification Of Gordonia Bacteriophage Protein Folding And Function With Google Deepmind's Alphafold Artificial Intellifence Software, Taylor Butler

Undergraduate Student Symposium

As the rapid evolution of multi-drug-resistant bacteria inflict public health and environmental crises, the need for alternatives to convention antibiotics is necessary. Bacteriophage (phage) interventions has resurfaced as a prospective avenue of study. However, these viruses that are capable of infecting and killing bacteria are widely undiscovered and lack genetic characterization. Current methods utilize bioinformatics and comparative tools to identify genes and protein functions. Unfortunately, functional classification of phage proteins is difficult with limited experimental data. As a result, functional assignments are often made on synteny using genetically similar bacteriophages. However, many proteins are assigned “hypothetical” functions as no comparative …

Paradise Lost And Character Motivation: Sinful Behavior Or Inferiority Complex?, Esperanza Barrios

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sin is a concept mainly viewed from a religious perspective. But, through Paradise Lost, John Milton brought a further understanding of human nature and one’s sense of committing what’s perceived as sinful behavior without the veil of religion glazing over academic understanding. In religious terms, sinful behavior is the idea of defying God’s commandments. Still, for this research, sinful behavior may be described as abnormal behavior that damages our best interests and relationships for selfish gains. Sin is also synonymous with the term criminality, the act of committing immoral or deviant acts. Each of Milton’s main characters, Satan, Adam, …

Hybrid Introgression Has Resulted In Bleeding Shiners Exhibiting Striped Shiner Mitogenomes In Certain Missouri Ozark Streams, Carson Arnold, Shila Koju, David D. Duvernell

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Predicting Baseball Game Wins With Machine Learning, Alexandar Djidjev, Nathan Hellwege

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Developing Behavior Based Rubrics To Improve Evaluation Processes: A Case Study, Celia Freed, Clair Reynolds Kueny

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Combined With Biosolids And Biochar Sustained Phytostabilization And Enhanced Soil Properties Of Mine Tailings, Emma Kettler, Mariam K. Al-Lami, Joel Gerard Burken

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Cytokinesis & Dbf2, Katharine Gray, Katie Shannon

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Developing Modular Radiological Containment For The Naval Nuclear Lab, Markus Baur, Eric Franklin, Cameron Ashley, Joshua P. Schlegel

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Discovering Localization Of Fun19 Orf In Yeast, Megan Percy, Galayna Baur, Katie Shannon

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Tracing News Of The St. John Slave Rebellion Across The Atlantic, 1733-4, Milo Hathaway, Justin Pope

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Carrier Analysis Of Alc Lipid Nanoparticles With Lung Cancer Drug, Noah Sparks, Lei Xu, Hu Yang

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Automated Tool Recognition And Retrieval, Tyler Rowden, Niloofar Zendedhel, Ming-Chuan Leu

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Training Ai Models For Automatic Melanoma Detection, Victoria Wegley, Jason Hagerty, R. Joe Stanley

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Peter Zhou Retires From The Uc Berkeley East Asian Library

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

New Appointments

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

Lists Of Selected Full-Text Databases By Subscription In East Asian Studies, Michiko Ito, Ellie Kim, Jian P. Lee, Anlin Yang

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Nanomorphology As Quantified Via The K‑Index On The Drug Delivery Properties Of Isocyanate-Derived Aerogels, Stephen Y. Owusu, A. B. M. Shaheen Ud Doulah, Vaibhav A. Edlabadkar, Kamden J. George, Chariklia Sotiriou-Leventis

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Examining The Impact Of Health Insurance On Covid-19 Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis Of England And The United States Of America, Dibya Mullapudi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries were put under tremendous strain due to the sudden increase in patients requiring immediate hospital care. The pandemic exposed latent issues within these healthcare systems that were only exacerbated under the pressure of COVID-19. Insurance remains a major factor in determining the quality and availability of healthcare services. This study will examine the distinct insurance systems of the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) and analyze how they impacted COVID-19 patients’ healthcare outcomes. The US has a mixed insurance system composed of various public and private systems with around two-thirds of the …

Last Glacial Maximum Paleoenvironmental Proxies For The White River Badlands, Sd, Corinne Renshaw, John Nichols, Kaitlyn Perez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Paleoclimate research on Central North American droughts can help reconstruct regional climate effects that leave America’s agricultural areas vulnerable to future droughts. The past climate of the White River Badlands (WRB), located in the northwestern Great Plains, is poorly understood, due to the lack of traditional paleoclimate proxies in the area. However, with geochemical analyses of fossils preserved within mesa material there, we constrained the age of sediment deposition in this region and characterized climatic forces associated with last glacial drought and subsequent (dust) deposition. Geochemical proxies from gastropod fossil shells show that drought-driven dust deposition occurred at the Last …

Investigating Efficacy Of Nanomedicine For Novel Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics, Emma Hickey, Jeremy Ignatius, Annu Joji

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an endogenous incretin hormone primarily produced in the gut and brainstem. GLP-1 helps regulate glucose levels and appetite control, but recent evidence suggests that it may play a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases. GLP-1 receptors, part of the G-protein-coupled receptor family, activate intracellular metabolic and neurological signal cascades mainly via activation, or agonism. GLP-1 agonists, a drug class which includes Ozempic, were initially developed to manage type 2 diabetes, but recent studies have demonstrated neuroprotective properties for GLP-1 agonists in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (PD) models, thereby broadening their potential therapeutic applications. While early clinical trials …

Determining The Optimal Multiplicity Of Infection (Moi) And Lysis Time Of Gordonia Rubripertincta Bacteriophage, Bianca A. Gonzalez, Jose C. Padron, Dani Sheil

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic resistance represents a significant global health crisis, especially within hospitals, creating a necessity for the search for alternative therapeutic agents to combat drug-resistant pathogens. One alternative treatment is phages specifically targeting G. rubripertincta, a gram-positive, aerobic actinomycete bacterium which has shown intrinsic resistance to some antibiotics. Furthermore, G. rubripertincta can cause endocarditis and CNS infections in immunocompromised individuals. Several phages such as Alyssamiracle, Fribs8, Genamy16, and NovaSharks, have been discovered that successfully target G. rubripertincta. The goal of this research is to determine the optimal lysis time and multiplicity of infection (MOI) of these phages. The phages …

Health As A Global Priority: Challenges, Innovations, And Cross-Cultural Insights From Bangladesh To The United States, Afia Mushfika

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A thorough cross-cultural analysis of the traditional Eastern healthcare system in Bangladesh and the modern Western healthcare system in the United States reveals various distinctions. Recognizing these differences enables a better understanding and application of effective public health delivery and paves the way for improving healthcare on a global scale, including not only impoverished developing countries but established industrialized ones as well. Health equity and cultural competence could be advanced globally due to the comparison and analysis of the traditional healthcare system of Bangladesh with the modern healthcare system of the United States. Prior research independently depicts the nuances of …

Heavy Metal Distribution In Volcanic Hawaiian Sediment From Five Million Years Ago To Present, Lauren Nonnenmacher

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The increase in heavy metal contamination in the marine and terrestrial environments of the Pacific basin has raised concerns, as studies continue to display evidence of heavy metal bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity. Volcanism is a major source of the distribution of heavy metals through rock formation and weathering. The main Hawaiian Islands (State of Hawaii) were formed by hot spot activity in the central northern Pacific Ocean, where upwelling of a magmatic plume containing heavy metals solidified into an archipelago of volcanic islands over a five-million-year period. The combination of natural and anthropogenic metal(loid) sources generates the critical need to …

Protecting Citrus Through Patents: Legal And Economic Implications Of Uf/Ifas Biotechnological Advances, Laeila Scott

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), threatens the survival of Florida’s citrus industry, driving innovation in disease-resistant crops through biotechnology. This research examines how intellectual property (IP) law shapes these advancements, focusing on the direct industry impact of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Through analyzing patent strategies, licensing models, and governance structures, this study explores the balance between proprietary protections and public access. Additionally, it considers broader ethical and economic implications, including the challenges of patent enforcement and the impact on citrus growers. This research situates UF/IFAS’s biotechnological innovations within the larger legal and economic …

Modeling Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 2 Mutations In Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Exploring How The Drug Ag-221 Inhibits 2-Hydroxyglutarate Production And Restores Blood Cell Differentiation, Bhumika Balani, Jay Matta, Brianna Bourke, Nitya Punjal, Melissa Dore Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mutations in the Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) enzyme have been linked to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). IDH2, involved in the citric acid cycle, normally converts isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), using NADP+ to produce NADPH. Mutations like R140Q and R172K lead IDH2 to convert αKG into the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), hindering blood cell differentiation and resulting in AML.

The drug AG-221 targets mutant IDH2 at an allosteric site, stabilizing the enzyme in an inactive form and preventing 2HG formation, thus alleviating AML symptoms. Most patients, however, require additional chemotherapy and often complete bone marrow transplants. A 3-D printed model based on …